Earlier this morning, a hurricane-like storm began punching Churchill. The pounding rain and winds which our hotel staff said hit 90 km-h (Environment Canada was reporting gusts of 78 km-h) woke me up in my hotel room at The Tundra Inn here at 2 a.m. Now, more than 12 hours later, the storm continues with about the same ferocity. Buckets of lashing rain propelled by gusts of wind. One person, who has lived her for 15 years said this storm was unusual even by Arctic standards.
As a result, Harper's week-long Arctic tour is grounded on day 2. We were supposed to be in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut right now and then on our way to Resolute for our overnight stop. Those plans are now in doubt.
In the meantime, Harper made the announcement here — Cambridge Bay will be the site of the new Canadian High Arctic Research Station — that he was supposed to make in Cambridge Bay.
And, before he got going, he had this to say about the weather:
“The weather today here in Churchill has held us back a bit. This is the reality of Canada’s north. This is actually the second time this has happened. A couple of years ago we had a trip up to the high north delayed because of high winds and storms. So these things do happen. It’s a reality in Canada’s north and a reality in all of the country.
We live in a magnificent country with a challenging climate. It might hold us back at the airport but it doesn’t hold us back in building this great country. In fact, if Canada’s history is anything to go by, it makes us all the more determined.”
Of some note, the new Arctic research station to be built in Cambrige Bay will, Harper said when asked by reporters, study climate change and the kind of extreme or unusual weather event we're having right now up here.